Harness-snap.



D. THOMPSON.

HARNESS SNAP.

APPLICATION HLED mn. 19. |917.

1,282, 141 Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

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HARNESS-SNA?.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application filed January 19, 1917. Serial No. 143,400.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Devin THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Byron Center, in the county of Kent and Sta-te of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness- Snaps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rein snaps, and its objects are: irst, to provide a rein snap so constructed that it will render with any strain that may be brought to bear upon a harness rein; second, to provide a rein strap snap that cannot become accidentally disengaged from the saddle hook, and, third, to provide a rein snap that will remain in position on the saddle hook.

I attain these objects by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the snap coniplete. Fig. 2 is a back view of the body of the snap. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the adjustable body that the rein strap is connected with. Fig. a is a plan of the body partly in section to show the positions of the several slots and bearings for the adjustable body and springs, and Fig. 5 is a detached view of the latch.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views. In the construction of this snap l provide a body 1 having a hooked end 2 to engage a saddle hook, as indicated at A in Fig. 1. The body 1 has a slot through it, as at 10, into which the end of the catch 3 is placed and pivotally secured, as indicated at 4, so it may be made to swing upon its pivot 4, as indicated by its dotted lines in Fig. 1. This latch is held against the end of the any available form of spring, as indicated at 9. The anchored end of this spring is passed into the opening 15, in the body with the other end engaging the pin C so that the spring is held safely against the danger of being disconnected trom the frame and latch.

rlhe body 1 is also provided with slots 11, 11 for the passage of the pins 1Q on the slidingI body 14, designed to hold this body in proper relative position, and to prevent it Jtrom being drawn out of the body 1 if a sudden strain is brought to bear upon the strap B.

I provide for holding the body 111 in normal position in the body 1, by placing a suitable spring, as 5, around the body 1, and

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the anchoring one end of said spring to said body substantially as indicated at 6, and anchoring the other end ot' said spring to the crosshead 7, as at 17, so that said spring wil exert a strong tensile force to draw the cross-head 7 toward the end of the body 1 and hold the stem 14 into the opening 13, in such a manner that when a sudden strain is exercised upon the strap B, as by a sudden movement of a horses head downward, the flexibility of the spring 5 will allow the body 7-17 to move endwise and avert the danger of injuring the horses mouth. The strap B is secured to the loop 8, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, and the loop is pivotally secured to the crosshead 7 by means of a pivotal pin 16.

The outer end of the latch 3 is made hollow, as indicated at D in Fig. 5, for the reception of the end of the curved part, 2, of the snap, as indicated in Fig. 1. The distance between the outer edge of the latch, and the inner surface of the curve or loop should be such as to allow but little, it' any, room between them and the hook A, so as to avert, as much as possible, the danger of the snap becoming disengaged from the hook by the sudden changing of position of a horses head.

I find this snap especially valuable in case a horse should chance to stumble, as it will render enough to obviate all danger of tearing or injuring the horses mouth, or breaking the rein strap, while with an ordinary rein holder, as a plain saddle hook and a rein strap from the bits directly to the saddle hook a horse is likely to tear the mouth badly when stumbling.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent of the United States, is:

A rein snap having a cylindrical body, and having slots through opposite walls of said body, and a clasp hook formed on 4one end of the body, a strap receiving body made to slide longitudinally within the cylindrical body, and a helical spring mounte outside or and around the cylindrical body, and anchored thereto near the loop end, and the other end of said spring anchored to the strap body to hold the strap body normally within the cylindrical body, and to allow the strap body to be drawn longitudinally out of the cylindrical body.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, J anuary 13, 1917.

'DAVID THOMPSON.

Gommissioner of Eatents,

Washington, E. G. 

